The central government and the Canary Islands regional government agreed on Friday to set up a bilateral body through which the Canary Islands will participate in the management of its eight airports of general interest; according to the regional government, this will be crucial for overseeing the investments planned for the next five years, which total over 1.8 billion euros.
The agreement was reached following a meeting of the joint State-Canary Islands and bilateral committees to decide on the creation of the aforementioned body, following months of arduous negotiations, said Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, at the end of the meeting.
For his part, the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has admitted that the negotiations «have not been easy» because there have been «many tensions» arising from the central government’s «centralist» stance; however, he noted that, following the agreement reached, he has commended the efforts made by the Ministry’s team.
Canary Islands airports: Agreement strengthens regional co-management
This agreement enables progress to be made in strengthening the Autonomous Community’s capacity for self-government, in accordance with the relevant provision included in the Statute of Autonomy, as amended in 2018, and provides for joint management in the airport sector, which is essential for mobility and social and economic cohesion in the archipelago, the president noted.
«An important step is being taken today», demonstrating that agreements can be reached through dialogue, seriousness, rigour, competence and generosity, said Clavijo.
Bilateral committee monitors investment and air links
For his part, Minister Ángel Víctor Torres has explained that the body’s remit will include monitoring the progress of the investments set out in the DORA at the Canary Islands‘ airports, as well as any other functions which, by mutual agreement, may fall within its remit and be deemed appropriate by both parties.
The new body will have an equal representation of members, with four representatives from each administration, and will be chaired by the Government of the Canary Islands during its first year.
Among the functions of the Canary Islands-Central Government bilateral airport body, the most notable is its involvement in defining the archipelago’s airport strategy, particularly with regard to master plans and airport regulatory documents, Torres added.
The second area of action will be to improve air connectivity and the quality of services; to this end, the body will carry out assessment, promotion and coordination work to strengthen connections across the archipelago, facilitate the transport of passengers and air freight, and improve the quality and sustainability of airport services.
It will also take on responsibilities in the environmental sphere, driving forward the decarbonisation strategy, reducing the environmental impact of airport infrastructure, and ensuring compliance with sustainability and environmental protection obligations.
Finally, the minister pointed out that it will promote agreements on other public policies affecting airports, including measures for economic and social development and the possible co-financing of investments or services relevant to airport operations.
The Canary Islands take over further transport infrastructure
Furthermore, the Joint Committee on Transfers has agreed to the transfer of functions and services from the General State Administration to the Autonomous Community in respect of ports, airports, heliports and other transport infrastructure not designated by the State as being of general interest.
This agreement, negotiations for which began last January, has been formalised today and marks a further step forward in the development of the Statute of Autonomy for the Canary Islands, which will, specifically, take responsibility for the approval of construction projects, and for the modification and opening to air traffic of airports and heliports that are not considered to be of general interest.
The transfer will take effect from 1 January 2027, according to the Regional Minister for Public Works, Pablo Rodríguez, who emphasised that these are important pieces of infrastructure in the field of emergency services, for example.
In this regard, the financial cost of the service has yet to be determined, so that all the necessary resources for exercising this competence can be transferred to the Autonomous Community, the regional minister has stated.
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